Power

Power, in the name of the greater good, looks for enemies of peace, tranquility, and prosperity. It demeans, objectifies, and marginalizes the other. It takes away a person’s humanity and replaces it with a derogatory name or negative characteristic.

Treating people this way, and making them the source of the problem, is a problem. Because problems must be solved and dealt with. Ignoring problems, we are told, leads to dire consequences. We are warned if we don’t take care of it, our lives, our welfare, our prosperity, our peace is in jeopardy.

History has lots of examples. Nero, and others, persecution of Christians. Take a look at the Holocaust. The Hutus persecution of Tutsis in Rwanda.

The persecuted were the ‘other’ and the source of a problem.

Taking someone’s humanity away makes it easy to treat them inhumanly.

Christians can take away humanity and make an enemy with one word: Heretic. All because someone understands the Bible, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, salvation, or Hell differently.

Christians in power have persecuted other Christians on doctrinal issues. Michael Servetus and Dirk Willems come to mind. Lots of examples can be found in “The Mark of a Christian” by Francis Schaeffer, or “Foxes Book of Martyrs”.

There are lots of voices wanting to reform the Christian faith because the other is leading us astray. It scares me.

There are Christians who want strong political leaders to make things right. It scares me.

History is filled with the stories of people in power promising peace and prosperity…and killing to get it.